tain, or in search of roots or water-melons. I
thought it was almost impossible that any enemies could approach without
being discovered. Still, I had been too well accustomed to discipline
at sea not to keep as bright a look-out as I should have done had I
known they were near. I was standing with Timbo on the north side of
the fort, when he asked me to let him go out to a little distance.

"If dey come, dey come soon; and we no see dem till dey close to de
wall," he whispered.

Trusting to his judgment, I willingly let him do as he proposed. He
accordingly slipped over the palisade on one side, and I could barely
distinguish him as he crept along over the ground towards the north. He
was soon lost to sight. Jack and I kept anxiously looking out for his
return. I felt little alarm about the natives, but I was afraid that
some prowling beast might attack him. I must have waited half an hour
or more, when I distinguished a long object crawling along on the
ground. In the gloom I could not make out whether it was Timbo, or a
panther perhaps, or a huge snake, so noiselessly and stealthily did it
approach. It made, however, for the side of the fort, and in a short
time Timbo came up to me, having been admitted by Jack through the
sally-port in the rear.

"Dey come!" he whispered. "Dey no see me, dough. Dey t'ink dey find us
all asleep. I go call de captain and de rest, and de black fellows; and
we all get ready, and lie down and snore loud; and den, when de enemy
come, we jump up wid loud shout, and dey run away."

Timbo's plan of action was simple, and I hoped might prove effective; so
I begged him to carry it out. In a few seconds all our party, crawling
out from their huts, or from beneath the waggon or lean-tos, assembled
noiselessly, and took up their station at the palisades, kneeling down
so as not to be seen by those approaching. Thus we all remained ready
for the attack. Some time passed away, and no enemy appeared; and I
could not help suspecting that Timbo might by some means have been
mistaken. He, however, was positive that he had seen the enemy, and was
rather indignant at my supposing that he could have been deceived. We
kept watching on every side, not knowing on which the blacks, if they
really were coming, might make their attack. At length I saw an object
moving along the ground, exactly as Timbo had approached the fort; then
another and another appeared. I found that Timbo had seen